Image from Smithsonian American Art Museum

Feeling weary from life’s demands? Join Rev. Rob McPherson in a contemplative prayer inspired by Loïs Mailou Jones’ Brother Brown, where rest and renewal meet. Discover how Jesus’ invitation to “come to me” offers peace for your soul today.

Matthew 11:28-30

Use this guide for prayer and contemplation. Read slowly, pausing as needed for silence and reflection.

Opening

Find a comfortable seat. Let your shoulders soften.

Take a slow breath in. And a slow breath out.

Stay here a moment.

Reflection on Contemplative Prayer

Much of life asks you to stay busy—doing work, completing tasks, carrying what must be carried. In contemplative prayer, you step aside for a moment of Sabbath. Prayer is not another thing to do. It is a break from the doing—simply being present with God. Without this kind of rest, the anxious whirlwind can pull you away from your spiritual center. Today, let God lead you into renewal through Scripture and a painting.

Scripture

As you hear these words, let them wash over you. Receive them as a gift from God.

Matthew 11:28–30 (The Inclusive Bible)

Come to me, all you who labor and carry heavy burdens. And I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon your shoulders. And learn from me. For I am gentle and humble of heart. Here you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy. And my burden is light.

Holy One, be near as we receive these words. Let your gentleness meet the places in us that are tired.

Artwork for Prayerful Reflection

Brother Brown, Loïs Mailou Jones

As you gaze, notice Brother Brown sitting under a tree—resting after work, a cane nearby, a sack labeled “potatoes” at his feet.

Imagine there is another chair beneath the branches, waiting for you. Let this image become a doorway into prayer—into conversation, into listening, into rest.

Reflection Questions

What do you notice first as you look at Brother Brown—his posture, his hands, the shade of the tree, the tools of a long day?

What kind of tiredness do you sense in this scene, and where do you recognize that tiredness in your own body and spirit?

What “heavy burdens” are you carrying today—seen or unseen, named or unspoken?

If you imagine setting the fruits of your work on the ground beside you, what do you place there?

What words from the Scripture stand out for you right now—rest, gentle, humble, easy, light—and what do those words stir in you?

Where do you see those words reflected in the painting, and where do you long to see them reflected in your own life?

As you take the empty chair under the tree, what conversation begins—what you want to say, and what you need to hear?

What helps you find rest—places you return to, practices that steady you, people who make space for your soul?

As you speak with God about the words you have chosen, what response do you sense—an invitation, a comfort, a gentle nudge, a quiet silence?

Closing

Gentle Christ, gather what is scattered in us. Help us lay down what is heavy, receive what is needed, and walk forward in your quiet strength. Amen.